Catholics around the world are mourning the passing of Pope John Paul II, who taught the world how to live and then taught the world how to die.
The world has lost a champion of the poor, of the unborn, of the helpless, of decency and optimism; in a world beset by evil tidings, he was often the lone voice of compassion for those who had no voice of their own.
He will always be remembered as a leading international advocate of human rights, as a scholar and writer, as a major catalyst in the fall of communism, as a healer of divisions that lasted for over a thousand years; of healing rifts between Catholics, Jews, Muslims and other Christian denominations that split off from the Catholic faith hundreds of years ago.
He is also the most-seen man in existence, visiting at least 125 countries for a total of over 200 foreign visits during his reign as supreme pontiff.
John Paul II knew that the job of the pope was not to make decisions that were popular; it was to make people more conscious of sin and to turn people away from it. Some did; others exercised their God-given free will and ignored the voice of wisdom.
John Paul II’s strength on behalf of religious freedom and human dignity will be missed.
Farewell, Holy Father.
No comments:
Post a Comment